Tangled the Series One-Shots
by Soul'sPenumbra
Summary: This will mostly consist of disconnected one-shots/ficlets/vignettes/whatever-you-want-to-call-them, many of which focus on Varian. There will also be a few drabbles here and there (in the sense of exactly 100 words).
1. Mood Potion AU One-Shot

**I'm actually kind of ambivalent towards the theory/AU where Varian turns bad due to the mood potion. However there were a few things I wanted to address by writing this:**

**One: This was kind of my way of learning to appreciate this theory more by showing myself it doesn't necessarily take the**** complexity out of Varian's character.**

**Two: I wanted to write an internal devil/angel-style conversation for Varian in which the angel was winning. He's a good kid at heart, he really is. He's just gone through some dark times.**

**Three: Rapunzel threw the mood potion into the ocean, and it ended up in a river. Maybe I misunderstood something somehow, but that just didn't seem realistic. I wanted to kinda-sorta explain how that might have happened. Honestly, though, my "explanation" may test suspension of disbelief more than what happened in canon.**

**.**

**Aaaand finally we arrive at the actual story...**

* * *

Sunlight filtered down through the thick green canopy, giving the forest a gentle glow. With a brisk breeze blowing through the leaves, the entire forest seemed to be sighing contentedly, a sound that occasionally mingled with distant birdsong. The warmth in the air heralded the approach of spring and the new growth and life it would bring to the forest.

And scattered here and there throughout the forest were the black rocks, dark, ominous shadows in the otherwise tranquil setting.

Varian sighed as he veered to avoid yet another of the shards in the middle of his path. Even this far from his village and the worst of the rocks' intrusions, the black shards were still constant reminders of all that had happened.

Of course, Varian needed no reminder.

The fate of father—and to a lesser extent, the fate of his now-abandoned village—was almost always at the forefront of his mind. Even now, as he walked through the woods taking a break from his work to clear his head, hundreds of possibilities for compounds that might expose a weakness in the amber were running through his head. Always, everything came back to the amber, to the image of his father silently enveloped in a strange, impenetrable tomb. Now, as he thought about it, he felt weary, emotionally and mentally exhausted, momentarily numb to the pain. However, the thought of his father usually gave him the fire to work all the more tirelessly. At other times, it was just a struggle not to break down crying.

What scared him, though, was the memory of his reaction not so many days before when he first found his father completely encased. The initial shock and sorrow were one thing, but the anger had been something completely different and completely uncharacteristic. In that moment, realizing his father was gone, possibly forever (No, not forever. He couldn't think that way. His father could still be saved.), and with the memory of being turned away by Rapunzel still fresh in his mind, Varian had experienced a wave of hatred beyond any he had ever felt in his life. He had wanted to see Rapunzel and anyone, everyone else suffer for what had happened.

Varian could vividly remember how he had been standing there with clenched fists, vowing to make them pay, when he had turned slightly to see Ruddiger, crouching under a table, ears back and eyes frightened. It had taken Varian a moment to realize that _he_ was the one who had so completely unsettled the raccoon. Once Varian's emotions had cooled, it had been easy to see why. For a moment, something unspeakably ugly had tried to emerge in him. For a moment he had been someone other than himself. Had that state of mind lasted… Well, Varian was glad it hadn't.

Rapunzel was his friend, and regardless of what had happened between them, he didn't really want to see her hurt. Of _course_ she would remain at the castle to make decisions for her people rather than leave to help a single friend. It only made sense.

_That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt,_ a voice inside him whispered, but he brushed that aside. It was silly for him to allow her slight to make him angry. He had to approach this logically and not let his ego get in the way. Anyway, even if she had come, Rapunzel may not have been able to help him anyway.

_But she has a connection to the rocks. She could have done _something_. Or at least she could have kept you from being thrown out of the castle. And where is she now? The blizzard is over, her parents are back, why can't she help you _now_?_

Varian took a deep breath. As much as he tried to ignore it, it did sting that the princess had only watched as the guards had dragged him away like a criminal and that she hadn't tried to contact him since then. But she was probably busy helping deal with the aftermath of the blizzard. Royalty had a duty to their kingdom that took precedence over all else. Varian knew that. It was childish to think the princess should have given him her time and attention in the middle of a crisis. If he didn't hear from her soon, he could go to the castle himself and talk to her. By then everything should have calmed down and she would be able to help him as she had promised.

_She promised help in two days. It's been more than that._

So what if an unexpected complication had forced her to wait longer? Varian knew as well as anyone that things rarely go perfectly according to plan. She would help him now, he was sure of it. However hurt he may have been tempted to feel, he needed to think rationally, he had to see the princess' perspective. Rational, logical, reasonable. That's the sort of person he was after all. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of that.

_Maybe there are times when it's only reasonable that emotions are keeping you from being reasonable._

The vivid memory of his father encased in amber again flashed across his mind.

But, of course, his father was not gone forever. Varian would rescue him soon. There had to be a way. With Rapunzel's help, he would find a way. There was no point grieving when it was only temporary.

Before doubts could creep in again, Varian forced himself to more carefully observe his surroundings. He was just reaching a point where the path began running parallel to a river. The shoreline towards which the river ran was just visible in the distance through the trees. In his reverie, he had walked a bit further out than he had planned, but that was fine. Perhaps today he needed a longer break anyway. He would turn around now, head back quickly, and resume his work.

But then, he saw a faint glint as the sunlight reflected off of something in the water towards the mouth of the river. Of course it could have been reflecting off the water itself, but something about the way it looked suggested otherwise. By now though, it would have been carried out into the ocean, and despite his curiosity, he didn't want to waste time looking for it only to find an old empty bottle or something equally insignificant. However, just as he was about to turn away, he saw the glint again.

He blinked in disbelief. Surely it wasn't coming _closer_. Maybe it was just a fish, but Varian's curiosity was winning out now. He remained rooted to the spot. Whatever it was, it was indeed traveling upriver in his direction. As it approached, Varian could make out a small glass container of some sort. Completely still and mouth open slightly, he watched as it continued past the point where he stood and finally came to rest against some of the black rocks along the banks.

Varian finally reanimated. "Wow," he murmured to himself, making his way towards it. As he came closer, he saw the intricate braid design on the side of the flacon, and more importantly, the few drops of purplish substance it held.

"What do we have here?" A small smile played at the corner of Varian's mouth.

* * *

Back in his lab, Varian carefully analyzed the liquid in the flacon. Ruddiger looked on curiously as Varian ran his tests and looked over the results.

"Fascinating," he said, half to Ruddiger and half to himself. "It looks like it's meant to cause repressed aspects of a person's personality to become dominant. Whoever's exposed to it would essentially become an entirely different person." He chuckled. "It seems like it would be more effort than it's worth to create something to do that." After a moment's thought, he reconsidered. "I guess it _could_ be a powerful tool. A bit scary too."

Varian stared thoughtfully at the few drops of potion for a moment, lapsing into silence. The fact that it had traveled upriver still troubled him. Maybe a trace of the potion on the outside of the vial could have somehow caused the water's underlying eddies and counter-currents to become stronger, but the idea that a substance had the same effect on water currents as it did on the human psyche seemed just a little too fantastical. Too much like magic.

Varian's mind wandered slightly. Things below the surface could be powerful and useful when given strength. Moods, hidden feelings, secrets, lies. If he had found this potion before… before the accident, could he have given it to his father? Would it have changed Quirin's mood enough to convince him that Varian was ready, that Varian could be trusted with whatever secrets he had been keeping? Would that have been enough to replace the look of disappointment in Quirin's eyes with pride? Varian pushed those thoughts aside. He really was being childish.

But still it _was _possible that changing someone's personality could convince them to reveal things they otherwise would have kept secret. In a sense, the personality change was a way of revealing secrets, secrets about who someone truly could be deep down, so deep that even they perhaps did not admit it to themselves.

What would be nice though, would be a way of finding out more practical, surface-level secrets without changing someone's entire identity. Could the potion be modified to accomplish that? Varian was willing to try to find out. If anyone could do it, it would be him. Excitement ran through him at the thought. It would be a sort of truth serum, capable of getting anyone to talk. Yes, he was certain he could do it.

But _should_ he do it?

There _were_ other matters to attend to. He needed to continue researching the alchemical weaknesses he had discovered in the rocks as well as try to figure out what exactly the amber was. He also had the scroll he had found among his dad's things. It was clearly related to the sundrop and the rocks, but he would need to spend some time deciphering the ancient language before the scroll could provide any insight.

However, perhaps it could be _people_ who gave him as much insight as the scroll. He had a growing feeling that his father wasn't the only one who had been keeping secrets. Most people either ignored the rocks or were unaware of them. With the rocks' causing so much damage in some areas of the kingdom, Varian could only wonder at whether someone weren't trying to keep things quiet. And the king had sent word to the village that they were being provided with new land until the black rocks were taken care of, despite the fact that Varian's dad hadn't mentioned the rocks to the king. And despite the kings reassurances, no one seemed to be making any effort to remove the rocks.

With so much either hidden from him or in confusion, Varian could only assume that an easy way to discover the truth might be invaluable.

"Ruddiger," Varian said slowly. For some reason, he felt like he had to explain what he was planning to do. "I'm going to use this potion I found to create a truth serum." The raccoon's dark, intelligent eyes peered up at him. "Now, I know it might be a little…unethical to force the truth from people"—Why did he feel the need to defend himself to an animal?—"but there's so much I still don't know. I might need a way to cut through all the lies and secrets. Of course, I might not even end up using it. It'll just… It'll be nice to have on hand." Why did Ruddiger's expression seem so condemning?

Varian quickly turned away, back to his lab set-up. "Okay, Varian," he muttered to himself. "First step is to replicate it so there's enough to work with, and then we can go from there."

* * *

Ruddiger seemed nervous as Varian began to modify the potion. Perhaps there was some scent to the substance that Varian couldn't detect. Whatever it was though, Ruddiger had remained on the other side of the lab for the past hour, occasionally making uneasy noises.

Varian added a few drops of another solution to the potion as it sat heating over a small fire. Ruddiger suddenly hissed nervously, bolting up the wall to a perch among the rafters. With a sigh, Varian raised his mask so his voice wouldn't have an unsettling echo as he tried to comfort the raccoon.

"Ruddiger, it's okay, buddy. Everything is going according to plan. I just have a few more steps in this procedure and then it'll be done." Ruddiger didn't move and his ears remained lowered."

Varian looked down and saw that the solution was fizzing gently. He panicked for a moment. "Oh, yikes, forgot it was going to do that." Quickly, he removed it from the heat and added another ingredient. The fizzing stopped, but he could have sworn there was a faint purple haze around the workspace. He quickly pulled his mask back down over his face. By now, he really should have learned never to remove it while doing alchemy. He really was lucky he had never been exposed to anything fatal.

He chuckled nervously, his voice resonating inside the mask. "Oops. Hopefully the fumes don't have any sort of effect." Varian jokingly changed his manner of talking to be more ominous, as he always felt tempted to do when wearing his mask. "With the procedure unfinished, the results of exposure could be catastrophic," his voice boomed.

He suddenly felt an odd twinge of emotion stirring inside him, and concern flitted across his mind for the briefest moment. But then, his gaze flickered to his father still trapped in the amber. Varian's entire body went slack for a moment before his fists suddenly clenched as thoughts of betrayal and broken promises flooded his mind with rage.

Rapunzel had promised him she would help, and she had broken that promise. Because of her, his father was trapped, possibly even dead.

Varian had once told her she could count on him, but now he had no reason to stick to _his_ word either. If she wouldn't help him, he would help himself.

_Let's see how you like being betrayed, Princess._

_._

**Always open to constructive criticism.**

**.**

**I love alchemy. I can be all like, "He did this and then that, and then it reacted like this," and no one can argue because it's _alchemy_.**


	2. A Few Light-hearted Drabbles

**If I could draw, I would have done most of these as comics; however, I cannot draw, so I decided to burden the world (or rather, the one person who will be reading this) with my drabbles. They're all fairly light in tone. I guess I'm just in the mood to _not_ torture anyone, and by anyone I mean Varian.**

**Surprisingly, it is really satisfying to write something that fits a 100 word limit (not counting notes or titles here). **

**I always appreciate constructive criticism on _anything_.**

* * *

**Varian _can_ be a bit cliche at times (like, oh my gosh, I love his dramatic entrances) but even he has standards. **

**(Please tell me he doesn't have a more-than-three-syllable evil laugh anywhere that I'm forgetting.)**

**Not _That_ Sort of Villain**

Varian had done it. His plans had succeeded, and all of Corona was at his feet. He began to chuckle darkly, his laughter growing louder and stronger until the cackles tore at his throat and echoed across the island.

Varian suddenly jerked awake to find Rudiger nuzzling his face.

"Hey, buddy," Varian muttered drowsily. He had been dreaming something… What had he been dreaming? A sudden recollection caused him to wrinkle his nose in distaste. He had been laughing? But what was it he had found so funny? And when in his life had his laugh ever sounded like _that_?

* * *

**I had the first two lines of this dialogue stuck in my head and I had to write them in _some_ sort of story.**

**I Am Lord Demanitus**

"I am Lord Demanitus," a deep voice boomed. A masked figure strode across the dim room, his stiff, floor-length cloak shifting as he walked.

"Cut it out, Varian," Cassandra said, barely glancing up at him. "We need to get your stuff and get out of here."

Varian lifted his mask. "Aww, come on, Cassie, I'm just having a little fun. We aren't _that_ rushed." He smiled. "Besides, I _am_ getting my stuff. If I _wear_ my protective gear, then my hands are free to carry other things."

Cassandra rolled her eyes, but a slight smile was tugging at her lips.

* * *

**Oh, Nigel. I don't hate you Nigel, but maybe in the future, you could work on distinguishing between desperate pleas for help and violent attacks. **

**I can just imagine Nigel as someone who overreacts to almost everything.**

**Over-scrupulous**

"Look at this mess!" Nigel exclaimed in his imperious, nasally voice. "I told you this room needs to be _immaculate_."

The poor maid peered nervously into the room. She had left the window ajar to allow in fresh air, and a breeze had apparently stirred the parchment left on the desk. A single piece had fallen to the ground. After another moment, she also noticed one small wrinkle on the bedspread. Surely Nigel hadn't also been referring to _that_? But she knew better than to argue.

"I'll tidy it immediately," she replied.

"Excellent," Nigel said, proceeding to the next room.

* * *

**It occurred to me that even though Adira slashing through the black rock at the end of season one was great for dramatic effect, it didn't really have a purpose besides that (as far as I know). So I gave it an in-universe purpose.**

**The Black Sword**

Adira scanned the area, triple-checking that everyone really had left. Her eyes paused for a moment on the gaping hole in Corona's walls. The black rocks certainly had a knack for leaving an impression.

Satisfied she was alone, Adira withdrew her sword, swinging it into a shard beside her. It cut smoothly and Adira tensed, waiting. Nothing happened.

_We officially have our sun drop,_ Adira thought. In the past, the rocks had never taken kindly to being damaged. If that princess hadn't really been the sun drop, they would have reacted to the blow and Adira would be running for her life.

.

**When your four-drabble chapter is approaching 700 words...**


	3. Highschool AU

**Just a little universe where most of the main characters are high school students. Because of that, some of them had to be younger than canon. This is largely just my attempt at a sort of character study, but I might return to this AU sometime in the future. Also, I've never really had a "normal" high school experience, so I'm not really sure how realistic some of the details are. Input is welcome.**

* * *

A harsh noise rang out through the hallway and Rapunzel started in surprise, then grinned. "That's the bell, right?"

"Yep." Cass pushed herself away from the wall she had been leaning against. "Time to head to first period."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!" Rapunzel said breathlessly as they began walking down the hallway. She made sure to smile at as many of the other students as possible. "My first class at a real school!"

Eugene chuckled. "You know, Blondie, the first day of school is usually supposed to be depressing, not exciting."

"Oh, come on, Eugene! Look at this place! These big hallways, all the new people I'll get to meet. I even have an actual printed schedule." She waved the paper in question. "How could I not love this?"

"I give it a week," Cass said dryly. "Then you'll be able to answer that question yourself."

"Oh, not you too, Cass," Rapunzel pouted playfully. "Don't be such downers, you guys. Try to look on the bright side."

"Blondie, I'm being forced to come to this place for the fourth year in a row. There isn't much of a bright side."

"Of course there is! For one, the three of us have first period together. Isn't that great?"

"That is pretty great," Eugene said with a smile, then added in a stage whisper, "Though, Blondie, when you say "three," you aren't talking about the number of souls are you? Because I don't think you can count Cass for that."

"She must not be counting brains either," Cass retorted. "Because I know for a fact that there's only two of _those._"

"I am in_sult_ed, Cassandra," Eugene said with false indignation. "I have a remarkable brain. Why else would I be taking calculus?"

Cass rolled her eyes. "Maybe so you could be in the same math class as your girlfriend? We both know, if it weren't for Rapunzel, you would have been too lazy to even consider-"

"Here we are!" Rapunzel said brightly, interrupting their conversation. She stood in front of the door for a moment. "Do…do we just walk in?"

Eugene opened the door for her and held it open with a smile. "After you."

Rapunzel walked through, peering around the room. The first thing she noticed was the posters that covered the walls. A few had math formulas, but most were inspirational, displaying phrases like, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." or "To teach is to touch a life forever." Cass would probably call them garish and cliché, but they made Rapunzel feel welcomed.

"Good morning," came a cheerful voice from the doorway. A short woman with graying hair bustled into the room, carrying a stack of papers. "I was just making some copies. Sit where you'd like."

Rapunzel considered the desks, arranged in groups of four around the room. "Let's sit at the front."

"Are you sure?" Eugene asked. "Because this table right here looks just fine and it's closer too." But Rapunzel had already made her way across the room and was setting her backpack down beside one of the desks. Cass shrugged and walked over to her. Eugene sighed and followed.

Setting down his bag, Eugene glanced back longingly as other students filled in the desks at the back of the room. "How am I supposed to not pay attention in class when we're right in front of the teacher like this?"

"If you tried actually paying attention for once, it wouldn't be a problem," Cass replied. "But I do feel kind of exposed up here." She glanced around at the other students in the room as if they might pose some sort of threat.

"Relax, guys," Rapunzel said. "Don't you want it to be easy to see the board?"

Eugene rocked his hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "Eh..."

"I'd rather have it be easy to see what's going on around the room." Cass crossed her arms. "Speaking of which, there's a kid coming towards our table from behind you, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel turned in her seat to a see a gawky boy with shaggy black hair approaching. Instead of wearing a backpack like most students, he had a satchel slung across his skinny chest. He seemed surprised when he saw that the three of them were suddenly looking at him.

"Uh, hi. This, uh…this other seat isn't taken is it?"

"Nope." Rapunzel smiled. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," he replied brightly. For a moment, he struggled to get the strap of his satchel over his head before sitting down at the empty desk.

Eugene studied the boy for a moment. He seemed almost too young to be even a freshman. "I think you might be in the wrong class, kid."

"This is room 123, right? Calculus with Ms. Allen?" Despite the fact that he framed it as a question, there was a note of confidence in his words that suggested he knew exactly where he was.

"Yeah." Eugene looked surprised. "How _old_ are you?"

"Eugene," Rapunzel scolded. "You haven't even asked his name or introduced yourself yet."

"Nah. Don't-don't sweat it," the boy said. "My name's Varian. And I now know you're Eugene. And I overheard that your name's Rapunzel." He turned to Cass. "But I still don't know _your_ name."

"Cassandra," she replied tersely. "Cass for short."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I like it...Cass."

"Okay, we've been introduced." Eugene said briskly. "Now how old are you?"

"I'm, uh, fourteen. I'm a freshm–"

"Whaaaa...?" Eugene cut him off.

"Wow," Rapunzel said, impressed. Even Cass raised her eyebrows.

"You're _fourteen_?" Eugene asked.

"Yeah." Varian smiled sheepishly.

"And you're taking _calculus_?"

"Yeah. I-I figured, since they'll let me skip another grade in math, why not do it? I was already a couple years ahead anyway."

Eugene threw his hands up. "Oh, yeah, might as well just take the hardest math class as a freshman. Why not? No biggy."

"Wow," Rapunzel repeated. "You must be pretty smart."

"The kid's gotta be an absolute genius," Eugene exclaimed.

"Oh, I-I wouldn't say _genius_," Varian said. "But I am pretty good at math." He seemed equal parts uncomfortable and flattered at the reaction he was getting. "So, uh, are you all seniors then?"

Rapunzel was the first to reply. "They are, but I'm a junior. It's my first year at this school though. I was, uh, home-schooled most of my life."

"Oh, cool. I did some home-school when I was younger. It can…It can be hard adjusting to a regular school."

"Yeah, it is a lot different here." Rapunzel's gaze lost focus for a moment, but then she brightened. "But, hey, since it's both of our first years, maybe we can kind of look out for each other. Help make sure it's going smoothly for each other."

"Oh. Sure." Varian looked surprised. "I mean, you seem like you'll handle everything okay..." He glanced at Eugene and Cass.

The second bell rang and both Rapunzel and Varian jumped slightly.

"New students have to look out for each other, right?" Rapunzel said with a smile. She had determined to make new friends on the first day and it looked like she was getting around to it already.

Varian returned her smile. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

* * *

**Well, that was more dialogue-heavy than I intended it to be. And that passing period had to have been abnormally long because I think all that would have taken well over four or five minutes.**

**If you have any thoughts on how I could improve, especially in terms of character portrayal, feel free to share.**


	4. Two More Drabbles

**Two ****_very _****different drabbles here. The first is basically just me derping around and breaking the fourth wall. It includes a minor spoiler for ****_Be Very Afraid_****. ****The second is something I did a while ago speculating how things might have turned out if Varian hadn't completely lost his cool in Secret of the Sundrop and had actually won the battle.**

* * *

**My unofficial self-insert OC cares about a side character for some reason**

"Feldspar, you need to come with me," I said urgently, taking his arm and pulling him forward. "We're taking you to a secure, undisclosed location."

"What? Why?" he spluttered.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you remember how you completely rebuffed Varian in _Be Very Afraid_?"

"Why, yes, but—"

"Well, as unrealistic as it would've been if nobody had ever said something like that to him, we're worried that you've angered the fandom and put yourself in danger. We need to get you somewhere safe until we determine that this whole thing has blown over or that we overestimated the threat."

* * *

**Varian Victorious**

Working at his table, Varian listened to the princess' subsiding sobs behind him. Her crying made him momentarily uncomfortable, but he brushed that aside. It was _good_ that she was broken, that she understood the pain of losing her parents to the amber when nobody was willing to help.

"Do you feel better now, _Varian_?" Rapunzel spat, chains clinking.

"Yes, actually, I do," he sneered, not bothering to turn.

"Do you think your father would be proud of you?"

Varian froze, his entire body tensing. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously cold. "I did what I had to do."


	5. Conversation with Varian (AU, I guess)

**Yeah, so here's a thing I mostly wrote a while ago, but didn't finish until recently because school. Just my thoughts on how a conversation between Varian and Rapunzel might have gone when she first got back. It no longer fits with canon **_**at all**_**, but whatever, I'm not changing it. Just call it an AU where things go more smoothly in Corona while Rapunzel's gone.**

**By the way, for those who have posted reviews, thank you so much. I appreciate your positive feedback.**

* * *

Deep in thought, Varian was sitting on the edge of his cot, staring down at his hands. The sound of movement came from outside the cell, but he didn't look up. It was probably just a guard doing the rounds.

"Varian?" came a soft voice from just beyond the bars. Varian glanced up in shock.

_Rapunzel?_

He barely kept himself from saying the princess' given name aloud. Too much had happened for him to even imagine he still had that privilege.

Instead, not looking directly at the princess, he stood and tentatively moved closer to the cell door. He knelt, bowing his head deferentially.

"Your Highness." The words felt strange on his tongue. It had been so long since he had last spoken the title. It had been even longer since he had spoken it without the sneering conviction that it was an undeserved honor. And before that, at Rapunzel's insistence, he had always used only her name. Back when they were still… friends. Guilt and nostalgia made his throat tighten.

"Varian," the princess repeated, in a stiff greeting. Varian tried not to be hurt by her tone. He knew he deserved nothing short of such a cold address.

The princess cleared her throat. "I came here to..." Her voice became suddenly more hesitant. "Well... How are you?"

Varian was comforted by the friendly question, but also a touch amused. _Oh, yeah, I'm great. Just been spending the last year and a half living in a dungeon, and sometimes they even let me out to do chores._

He could have just told her he was fine and asked how she was in return, but he didn't like the idea of a polite lie any more than complete candor. It was better not to answer. Maybe instead, now was a good time to get something out of the way that he had been both dreading and anticipating for months.

Heart beating more quickly, Varian looked up at Rapunzel from where he knelt. "Before we discuss anything else"—The words nearly caught in his throat, but if he didn't say this now, he might never do so—"I just want to apologize to you. What I did when I was fourteen, and what I tried to do… that was terrible. I realize that now. I took everything way too far. Corona never deserved that. You never deserved it either. And I'm just… I'm just so, so sorry." He hung his head again. He meant every word, but that didn't mean it had been easy to say. If only he had had more time to collect his thoughts so he could have at least spoken more eloquently.

Varian felt a gentle pressure on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw to his surprise, that Rapunzel had knelt, and was reaching through the bars to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Varian. I've already forgiven you." Her voice was warm. Varian hadn't heard her speak like that since back when they were still… friends. Guilt and nostalgia suddenly tugged at his chest. Of course Rapunzel would kneel across from him on a dirty dungeon floor, offering him reassurance despite everything he had done. Of course she would forgive him. That's the sort of person she was, and yet somehow he had once convinced himself that she was an unfeeling enemy.

"But there's something I have to know." Rapunzel withdrew her arm, looking Varian dead in the eye. "Have _you_ forgiven _me_?"

Varian's tongue seemed frozen for moment. He had expected her to assume that his apology meant he forgave her. But as Rapunzel apparently suspected, feeling bad for what _he_ had done and forgiving _her_ for what _she_ had done were two entirely different things.

"I've forgiven you for some things." Varian looked away, knowing Rapunzel wouldn't like his evasive answer. He _had_, in fact, already come to terms with the fact that there was little she could have done to help him during the blizzard. He forgave her for that. But that was not all that he had ever been bitter about.

Rapunzel was still looking at him intently. "But not for everything?"

Varian didn't answer. He didn't want to tell her that what had hurt him most of all was the fact that she had never come to help him after the blizzard. How could he explain what those lonely weeks had been like waiting for her to come, but not daring to risk coming to her. How he could he explain that despite his anger and bitterness, somehow he had wanted to see her face more than anything else?

It was kind of funny, but he had felt nearly the same way after being thrown into the dungeon. He had expected Rapunzel to come to him then too. Even though he would have been furious with her and yelled at her, he had still wanted to see her. He had still wanted to hear someone say that everything would be okay, even if only the tiniest part of him would believe it. But she had gone off on her adventure beyond Corona without so much as a visit to the dungeon. He knew she had left to look for answers that might help save his father, but it had felt like she had abandoned him all over again.

Even now, a part of him wondered what might have happened if Rapunzel had stayed. Maybe, she would have been the first to accept that he had changed and give him a second chance. Maybe he wouldn't be in this dungeon anymore, trapped by those who were slower to trust and forgive than Rapunzel was.

Rapunzel sighed softly after it became clear he wouldn't respond. "It's all right," she said gently. "You don't need to forgive everything right away."

But, of course, it _wasn't_ right away. Varian had had more than a year to think things through and he still couldn't let go. It was strange that he could feel guilty for holding a grudge but still hold it regardless.

Rapunzel smiled at him. "People told me you seem like you've changed."—But they still kept him in a cell, Varian noted—"I believe it now. I just needed to see it for myself."

He wondered whether that meant she had been worried that he had tricked everyone else and had wanted to look for signs of deception herself. He told himself it was fine if she hadn't trusted him and fine if she still didn't. He should be used to it. Even before betraying the kingdom, he had struggled to earn people's trust. Now, meeting with skepticism and suspicion was simply a given.

"But it's time that I get to the reason I came here," Rapunzel said briskly.

Varian's heart sank. Of course. Why would he ever think the princess would come to the dungeon just to see how a _criminal_ was doing. She no longer saw him as a friend. And by withholding complete forgiveness, hadn't Varian just made it clear that he felt the same way?

Rapunzel took a deep breath. "Okay, I know you… have your own priorities, but Corona's about to be in grave danger, and we need your help getting ready to protect it. Otherwise, our home might be entirely destroyed."

"All right," Varian replied simply.

"You'll help us?" Rapunzel seemed caught off guard by his immediate reply.

"Yeah, of course." Varian smiled, hoping it didn't look as forced as it felt. "Doesn't even matter what you want me to do. Corona's my home as much as it is yours." In a way, it was even more of a home to him than to a girl who really hadn't spent much more than a year out in the kingdom.

"Then let's get you out of that cell!" Rapunzel said brightly as she motioned to a guard standing a short distance away. He moved forward with a key. Rapunzel stood. "I can explain what's happening on the way up from here."

Varian got to his feet as well. To his surprise, he was as tall as Rapunzel now. For the first time, he looked at her more closely. She appeared more mature than he remembered, but also wearier, as if her journey had taken a lot out of her. He could only imagine how different he must seem to her.

"Varian, thank you so, so much for agreeing to do this." Rapunzel's smile was brilliantly warm, and for a moment, Varian could almost believe their friendship survived intact.

But she was only smiling because he had agreed to provide assistance. He was useful, so they were on good terms. As soon as he was no longer of use, that would end, and he would probably be right back in his cell.

Never mind that though. Maybe this would be a chance to prove that everyone who thought he still deserved to be locked up was wrong, and that he really had changed. And if that failed, he could at least prove it to himself. Squaring his shoulders, he raised his chin confidently. If Corona needed his help, he would help, and he would do so gladly.


	6. What Does That Make You?

**Another thing I wrote a while back (last time for now, I promise). It was supposed to be part of a longer storyline that takes place in Corona during season 2, but school. (And a Mary Sue-esque character I need to revamp.)**

**I'm keeping the setting in a guarded tower room rather than a cell, despite it now being more complicated to make that mesh with canon.**

**Ignore my**** first-person OC narrator who shall here remain nameless. She's usually not this edgy. Besides, the main point of this is exploring Varian's emotions. Please enjoy the abrupt switch to his perspective in the 3rd person.**

**(****Also, she is definitely _not_ a romantic interest for Varian. At this point, you could barely call them friends.)**

* * *

I stared pensively out the window. No emotion rose up in me that might have been deemed appropriate for discussing past acts of treason with a remorseless criminal. A part of me didn't like this moral apathy. A part of me remembered that this was the mood in which I was willing to hurt people.

Mostly, though, I couldn't have cared less.

"Were you really so sure of yourself?" My voice was lazy, matter-of-fact. "Seems like your entire plan would've fallen apart if Rapunzel had just stayed back at the castle."

"Oh, I always knew Rapunzel would come. That's who she is." Varian replied. "Now, the king, _he_ is the one who surprised me. Didn't think he'd risk _his_ neck." He scoffed. When he continued he sounded as if he couldn't quite believe his own words. "I actually had the _entire royal family_ trapped in my lab."

Maybe I should have commented on how it was really no surprise that King Frederick had come to Old Corona. Maybe I should have talked about how the king was willing to do anything to protect his family. Maybe I should have tried to subtly point out that he and Varian were actually quite similar in that way. But no. That's not what came out of my mouth.

"Must have felt nice," I said after a moment spent lost in thought.

"What?" Varian looked up sharply.

"It must have been nice." At any other time, I might have shut down, blushing at the dark sentiment that had slipped out. Today, though, reality felt a little more distant than usual. "You know, the power. The control. You had the most powerful people in the kingdom completely at your mercy." I smirked, looking at him sideways. "So what did that make you?"

Varian squinted at me, brows furrowing. Probably a bad sign that _he_ was giving me an odd look. Or maybe it was a good sign, a sign that he wasn't too far gone.

"I… I guess you're right," he said softly. "It _was_… nice being in control for once."

It was kind of funny that we were using the word "nice" to describe the feeling of power. It was an adrenaline rush, a sort of dark, heady sickness. It was all at once both another layer of suppressed guilt and a triumphant vindication. So we said that it was _nice_.

But maybe it had felt different for him anyway.

* * *

After she left, Varian couldn't help replaying that part of their conversation. She had been colder and more distant than he had ever seen her. The memory of how she had relished hearing him talk about his plots as if enjoying the vicarious experience unnerved him. But maybe that was her goal. She was probably trying to play mind games with him to somehow break his convictions and make him feel remorse.

If he was being honest, maybe it was working. Something was making him doubt himself, whether it was the passage of time or her attempts at persuasion.

He turned over her rhetorical question in his mind. _What did that make you?_ He knew what she meant by it, of course. If the most powerful people in the kingdom were at his mercy, then surely, he was _the_ most powerful person in the kingdom. Or, at least, he had been for a moment. And that's what it had felt like at the time.

But today, he wasn't so sure. Today, when she had asked the question, the first response that had come to mind had not been _powerful_ or _victorious_. No. A voice inside him had whispered something else:

_A villain._

The three most powerful people in the kingdom were the king, to whom he should have owed allegiance, the princess, who had once been his friend, and the queen, who truly had done nothing to him. He had had them in his power. He had been willing to hurt them. He had wanted to hurt them.

_What did that make you?_

_A monster._

Sure, they had wronged him. They had wronged the entire kingdom by not finding an answer to the black rocks sooner. But did Varian need to make them suffer for it? When he should have kept a level head, he had snapped, letting his emotions take over, and had decided revenge was the only way to ensure justice. But twisted justice wouldn't bring his father back. And now, because of what he had done, maybe nothing ever would.

_What did that make you?_

_A disappointment._

Varian curled up where he sat on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and fighting back tears.


	7. Reading Dante's Inferno

**I was reading the Inferno and saw the word "alchemist." The following one-shot ensued. (Though I don't know whether Varian falsifies metals…) As short as it is, it actually came out longer than I originally planned. Hopefully, it's not too boring of a conversation. It takes place sometime after The Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne and probably before Be Very Afraid.**

* * *

"Hey, Varian!" Rapunzel looked in through the doorway. "What are you reading?"

Varian glanced up. "Oh, just _The Inferno_. I found an old copy in the castle library."

"Impressive." Rapunzel stepped fully into the room. "Isn't that Italian?"

"Yeah." He gave her a lopsided grin. "It's a _little_ hard since I've been focusing on ancient languages lately, but I'm getting back into the swing of Italian."

Rapunzel's eyebrows rose. "Wow. Are you enjoying it then?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I don't personally subscribe to Dante's beliefs about, uh, hell, but the way he chooses the circles and punishments is fascinating." Varian paused for a moment. "I'm also counting how many of the levels I would qualify for." He chuckled bitterly. "I'm up to three, and I haven't even gotten to the traitors' circle yet."

"Oh." Rapunzel blinked. That had taken an abrupt turn. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. "Varian, you really shouldn't beat yourself up like that. We both know you're a better person now."

He snorted. "The rest of Corona sure doesn't seem to believe that."

"You just need to give it some time. We can't force anyone to move on from the past. But look on the bright side. You've made some progress already. You and Xavier get along okay. And Eugene and Lance trust you."

Varian shrugged, not meeting her eye. "I guess."

"It's a start. Things can only get better from here."

"I hope so," he murmured.

Rapunzel smiled. "I'll let you get back to your book. I'm glad we could talk."

Varian smiled back at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. As Rapunzel left the room, he looked back down at the book and sighed. How could he have any hope that everyone else would let go of the past when he couldn't even do so himself?

* * *

**Now, I'm wondering what Varian would actually have to say about religion. Probably something heretical.**

* * *

**Also, if anyone else likes finding songs that are somewhat relevant to their favorite characters, here's a small selection of ones I like:**

**Fallen by Sarah McLachlan**

**Disappear from Dear Evan Hansen (That musical has a lot of good songs.)**

**King by Lauren Aquilina**


	8. Eugene's Greatest Fear

**Well, sorry about the long hiatus for those of you who care. It was mostly a combination of me being lazy, and school being craz— chaotic.**

**Anyway…**

**I can tolerate Eugene being caricatured for comic relief in some situations, but "greatest fear" is literally one of the most stereotypical things to think about when it comes to characterization, and I was unhappy with his fear in Be Very Afraid. We know he's deeper than that. I also took the opportunity to write out some playful banter because if I don't practice, I won't get better.**

**Also, if you want to share, I'd love to hear your ideas on what Eugene's greatest fear would be.**

* * *

Lunging forward, Eugene swung his sword downward at Varian. Varian blocked it neatly with a clash of metal on metal.

"Nice!" Lance called from where he stood watching.

Eugene dodged back out of range with a grin. "You're getting pretty good at this."

"Thanks." Varian was panting, but he still managed to smile back. "That means a lot coming from you." He swished his sword dramatically. "Flynn Rider, fearless swashbuckler."

Eugene rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, you do realize—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Not _that_ Flynn Rider." Varian grinned. "But you're still pretty cool."

"Oh, stop. You're making me blush," Eugene said, definitely not blushing.

Lance chimed in. "I would like to add that along with not being Flynn Rider, Eugene is also not fearless." He chuckled. "Remember the red rocks, Eugene?"

Eugene widened his eyes in exasperation. "Really? This again?"

"Hey, Lance. Cut it out." Varian tried to suppress a smile. "The memories of that cowlick are still too traumatic for him."

"Our heroic friend's greatest fear." Lance swooned theatrically. "A bad hair day."

Eugene held up his hands defensively. "Hey, your greatest fear was a clown spider that wanted you to sing in public."

"That is a legitimate phobia." Lance crossed his arms.

Eugene gestured as if trying to gather a comeback out of thin air. "Look, Rapunzel was standing right there! Would _you_ want the love of your life to see you when you're not looking your best?"

Lance came over and patted Eugene on the back. "Oh, Eugene, it is not possible for me to look anything other than absolutely stunning."

Varian looked up, caught on something Eugene had said. "So, Eugene, when Rapunzel _wasn't_ standing right there, after she left… Did the rocks still make you see the same thing?"

Eugene froze. "Oh, umm…"

"Ooh." Lance grinned. "Something even better than a cowlick?"

"Uh, no, actually." Eugene shifted his feet. "Something a little more serious."

"Well, come on. Tell us," Lance said. He and Varian looked at Eugene expectantly.

"I'd rather not," Eugene said, biting his lip. "It's, you know, not fun to talk about."

"You know what the rocks made me see," Lance prodded.

"And you know what I saw too," Varian added somberly. He held eye contact with Eugene for a moment.

"You two are going to keep pestering me about it until I tell you, aren't you?" Eugene sighed. "Okay. Fine. But only if you both agree to keep it between us _and_ to never bring up the cowlick again."

"Will do," Lance replied.

"Agreed." Varian was eager to hear this. He hadn't liked to think that Eugene was really so shallow that some stray hair was his biggest fear.

Eugene stared down at the ground. "So, uh, after Rapunzel left, and I couldn't see her for real anymore, well, I started seeing her in chains, being dragged away. I couldn't tell who was taking her or where, but I knew she would never be free again, and I would never see her again, and I had this feeling that all of it was my fault." Eugene stared off into space. After a moment's pause, he suddenly shook himself. "Wooh, that was a real downer. You guys asked for it." He put on a smile and hefted his sword. "Ready to get back to practice?"

Varian blinked. "Oh, uh, sure." He lifted his own sword. "Thanks for telling us."

"Oh, yeah. No problem."

Varian grinned. "Now you better get ready to be demolished."

Eugene smiled back. "Oh, you are on."


End file.
